# Eric Cockeram

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{{Short description|British Conservative Party politician (1924–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name             = Eric Paul Cockeram
| honorific_suffix = 
| image            = 
| alt              = 
| constituency_MP  = [Bebington](/source/Bebington)
| parliament       = United Kingdom
| predecessor      = [Edwin Brooks](/source/Edwin_Brooks)
| successor        = [Alfred Bates](/source/Alfred_Bates)
| term_start       = 18 June 1970
| term_end         = 8 February 1974
| constituency_MP1 = [Ludlow](/source/Ludlow)
| parliament1      = United Kingdom
| predecessor1     = [Jasper More](/source/Jasper_More)
| successor1       = [Christopher Gill](/source/Christopher_Gill)
| term_start1      = 3 May 1979
| term_end1        = 18 May 1987
| birth_date       = {{birth date|1924|07|04|df=y}}
| birth_place      = 
| death_date       = {{death date and age|2021|12|25|1924|07|04|df=y}}
| death_place      = 
| spouse           = 
| party            = [Conservative](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK))
| relations        = 
| alma_mater       = 
| occupation       = Politician, Army Captain
| profession       = 
| signature        = 
| signature_alt    = 
| website          = 
| footnotes        = 
| children         = 4 
}}

'''Eric Paul Cockeram''' (4 July 1924 – 25 December 2021) was a British [Conservative Party](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)) politician.

==Life and career==
Cockeram was born on 4 July 1924.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mr Eric Cockeram (Hansard)|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-eric-cockeram/index.html|access-date=2021-12-28|website=api.parliament.uk}}</ref>

Educated at [Birkenhead School](/source/Birkenhead_School)

He served in the British Army in the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War), taking part in the [D-Day landings](/source/Normandy_landings) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II) as a Second Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion of the [Gloucestershire Regiment](/source/Gloucestershire_Regiment)<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-06-04|title=75th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings|url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/newsitem/262|access-date=2021-01-08|website=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Chaucer Auctions - Lot 428|url=https://www.ukauctioneers.com/auction_catalogue.cfm?itemID=20E9CB0FD7D62BFED0EFFECEFF580CEAEA2FADCF&auction=21EDC809DF|access-date=2021-01-08|website=www.ukauctioneers.com}}</ref> where he was wounded in the face by a grenade on [Gold Beach](/source/Gold_Beach). He was demobilised with the rank of Captain.<ref name=shropstar>{{cite news|title=Former county MP and Normandy veteran dies|work=Shropshire Star|date=7 January 2022|page=3}}</ref>

He worked in his family's tailoring and outfitters firm, Watson Prickard, becoming company chairman.<ref name=shropstar/>

Originally elected [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) for [Bebington](/source/Bebington_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) in [1970](/source/1970_United_Kingdom_general_election), Cockeram lost his seat (which he fought unsuccessfully as the renamed [Bebington and Ellesmere Port](/source/Bebington_and_Ellesmere_Port_(UK_Parliament_constituency))) in both the 1974 general elections. Elected for [Ludlow](/source/Ludlow_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) in [1979](/source/1979_United_Kingdom_general_election),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://origin.shropshirestar.mna.arcpublishing.com/news/nostalgia/2017/05/22/sensation-in-montgomery-as-shropshire-turns-all-blue/ |title=Sensation in Montgomery as Shropshire turns all blue}}</ref> he suddenly announced his retirement weeks before the [1987 general election](/source/1987_United_Kingdom_general_election), following allegations of multiple share applications for [British Telecom](/source/British_Telecom) and [British Gas](/source/British_Gas_plc).<ref name="shropshirestar">{{cite web |title=Election 2010: Ludlow « Shropshire Star |url=http://www.shropshirestar.com/election-2010-ludlow/ |access-date=10 March 2021 |date=20 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320101339/http://www.shropshirestar.com/election-2010-ludlow/ |archive-date=20 March 2012 }}</ref> This followed the [Thatcher](/source/Margaret_Thatcher) government's privatisation of both organisations, which allowed members of the public to buy shares in them. One of the share applications was for Cockeram's grandchildren but he denied wrongdoing and the [Crown Prosecution Service](/source/Crown_Prosecution_Service) decided he had no case to answer.<ref name=shropstar/>

Cockeram died on 25 December 2021, at the age of 97.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cockeram |url=https://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/254333/cockeram |website=The Telegraph |access-date=28 December 2021 |date=27 December 2021}}</ref> At time of his death he was married with four children<ref name=shropstar/> and was one of the few surviving former MPs who saw active service during World War II.

==References==

{{reflist}}

*''The Times Guide to the House of Commons'', [Times Newspapers Ltd](/source/The_Times), 1983
*{{Rayment-hc|date=March 2012}}

== External links ==
* {{Hansard-contribs | mr-eric-cockeram | Eric Cockeram }}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef | before = [Edwin Brooks](/source/Edwin_Brooks) }}
{{s-ttl
  | title  = [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) for [Bebington](/source/Bebington_(UK_Parliament_constituency))
  | years  = [1970](/source/1970_United_Kingdom_general_election)–[1974](/source/February_1974_United_Kingdom_general_election)
}}
{{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished }}
{{succession box
  | title  = [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) for [Ludlow](/source/Ludlow_(UK_Parliament_constituency))
  | years  = [1979](/source/1979_United_Kingdom_general_election)–[1987](/source/1987_United_Kingdom_general_election)
  | before = [Jasper More](/source/Jasper_More)
  | after  = [Christopher Gill](/source/Christopher_Gill)
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cockeram, Eric}}
Category:1924 births
Category:2021 deaths
Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Category:UK MPs 1970–1974
Category:UK MPs 1979–1983
Category:UK MPs 1983–1987
Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for constituencies in Shropshire
Category:British Army personnel of World War II
Category:Gloucestershire Regiment officers

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Eric Cockeram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Cockeram) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Cockeram?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.